Coworking is a weekly segment where we talk to CFOs and others in the finance space about their experiences, their companies, and the larger economy. Let us know if you are—or you know—a CFO we should interview.
Ed Lu is the CFO of Fandom, a San Francisco-based gaming and entertainment community platform. He’s been with the company since 2018 and also serves as a strategic advisor for other digital gaming companies.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in finance?
My job is to help the company set its strategy and operationalize it through financial guidance, execution, and communication. To do so, we have to ensure we have swift and accurate data aggregation, the optimal level of control and compliance, and rigorous and analytical foresight to drive the desired outcome for all of our stakeholders. I also spend an equal amount of time looking at strategic growth vectors for the company, which includes heavy involvement in acquiring companies and assets.
How do you think the CFO role has changed over the past five to 10 years, both for you, and in general?
CFO has traditionally been more operational and less strategic, more of a financial and accounting voice in the room, strictly a “numbers person.” As the role has evolved, CFOs are playing a much larger role in company strategy and overall leadership, which requires one to supplement the financial acuity with strong communication and people skills.
The evolution of the CFO in becoming a broad business operations partner has expanded the CFO role to include strategy, corporate development, and even human resources, talent acquisition, as well as facilities management.
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What advice do you have for future CFOs?
While it is imperative to get the data/metrics right, storytelling with context and key takeaways is just as important. Furthermore, be a strong relationship builder to build trust and unlock your influence. Lastly, be proficient in scenario planning and use ranges, not absolute numbers. Especially with senior management or board members, the flexibility of ranges will drive strategic, creative, and resourceful solutions, and expand your sphere of influence beyond just the numbers.
Who’s a CFO you admire or you try to model yourself after?
Jim Cook, long-time CFO in various growth companies (Intuit, Netflix, Mozilla, etc). He spends much of his time coaching and mentoring other CFOs, including myself!
If you weren’t a CFO you would be... ?
It would be an evolution of my journey as a CFO and advisor. I would be a life coach using innovative personal-growth frameworks. I would help identify the various intersections one has in their life across mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. One can be much more intentional with the values they want to surround themselves with, whether it’s their career network or personal friends and family circles. I would draw from life lessons learned through sports development (basketball, specifically), parenting experiences, career progression, and mental health evolution.
There are many applicable and scalable frameworks to help one continue their personal growth through their individualized channels, and anyone can enjoy continuous personal development with the proper guidance, system, and commitment.—DA